January in London has been redefined with the rise of Veganuary, a movement that encourages individuals to adopt a vegan lifestyle for the first month of the year. In our latest blog posts we have deep dived into the story of Veganuary, discussed how to overcome the challenge, and also shared some of host Catherine’s recommendations for sustainable shopping and dining.
The surge in vegan food trends and dining locations across the UK has turned London into a vegan haven. From plant-based street food in Camden Market to upscale vegan dinners in central London's high-end restaurants, the vegan lifestyle is becoming a norm rather than an exception in the city. Eatwith UK is no exception, offering amazing vegan dinners and experiences in London.
We’re excited to share this interview with our UK Community Manager, Kristina. She’s a true Londoner by heart and soul and takes us on a culinary journey, sharing the best tips, eatwith supper clubs, and delicious spots to visit in London.Vegan or not, if you’re dining in London this one is worth the read!
7-course Nepalese vegan supper club by host Rajiv in London.
True Londoner, true foodie
Hello! I’m Kristina, the UK & Ireland Community Manager at eatwith. I’ve been working at eatwith for 4.5 years, and I’m based in the London office.
I was born and raised in London, which is one of the top cities in the world to eat out and is renowned for its incredible diversity of cuisines, championing food from across the world. Over the last few years, it's been really exciting to see more and more innovative plant-based restaurants opening up - London has become the hub for vegan food. I’m not a vegan myself, but absolutely love trying new vegan restaurants and find myself cooking lots of plant-based dishes at home!
Curating the best food experiences in London - tell us about your role
As a Community Manager, it’s my job to ensure we have the best possible food experiences for our guests, and my main responsibility is to manage and work closely with our community of incredibly talented hosts.
It’s important for me to build strong relationships with my hosts, and offer them as much expert knowledge, support and event curation guidance as possible. For example, we’ve seen the increase in demand for plant-based experiences in January, due to the rising popularity of ‘Veganuary’ (particularly in London).
Therefore, I’ve worked closely with our London community who offer plant-based experiences (mostly supper clubs) to help get them ready for January - as this is what guests are looking for at the start of the year!
The incredible Novella Dining vegan supper club in Victoria Park
The eatwith highlight - working with chefs and hosts!
I love working with a very talented community of chefs and hosts and have the pleasure of dining at their events in London, and whenever I travel I will always try and attend an eatwith experience in other cities too!
What changes have you seen around the vegan lifestyle in London?
Veganism is becoming more and more mainstream and is no longer seen as a fad. With the boom in plant-based diets in recent years, this means more and more people take on ‘Veganuary’ - and the vegan movement shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon!
One in five Brits say they would go vegan if the circumstances were right, according to data from The Vegan Society. With the lifestyle becoming more accessible every day, we can assume many more will begin making the change!
London’s vegan hot-spots
Last year, London was crowned the most vegan-friendly city in the world with over 400 vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants across the city! A few of my favorites include: ‘Tendril’ - Chef Rishim’s small plates restaurant off Regent Street - the tiramisu is a must! ‘Pockets’ in Hackney serves the best pitas in town, stuffed with cabbage salad, houmous, tahini, amba, zhoug, falafel and chili, topped with a crispy deep fried potato. Pockets do falafel better than anyone in London!
What’s not to miss this Veganuary in London?
Our London host community goes big in January, offering many vegan experiences you must check out! A few highlights this month: Every Friday night, ex-Bubala chef John is hosting a 40 seat 7-course supper club in a private dining room in his Hackney pub - his show stopping Fried Cauliflower with a coconut sauce split with a curry leaf oil is a BANGER! We’ve welcomed new host Kerran to the London eatwith community this month and she is serving up a plant-based ‘Urban Farm to Table’ dinner for one night only, hosted at a beautiful venue in South East London. MasterChef quarter-finalist Ajay is hosting an intimate 8-seat South Indian supper club at his home in Streatham Hill.
Tips from a true Londoner - tell us the best spots!
Best Coffee in Town - The Dusty Knuckle, Dalston
Vegan Pastry That Everyone Likes - Crosstown Doughnuts, Marlyebone
Favorite Vegan Dinner - Novella Dining supper club, Hackney
Most Cozy Dining Experience - South Indian Vegan Supperclub in MasterChef's Streatham Hill Home, Streatham Hill
Not only London - vegan friendly food tour in Athens
London is a thriving hub for the plant-based community and has endless options to indulge in delicious vegan food. From coffee shops to supper clubs, there's something for everyone.
At eatwith, we are proud to be part of this positive change. We unite people and cultures around the table, offering sustainable and immersive culinary experiences across the world. If you want to learn more about sustainability in the kitchen, dine with one of our eco-hero hosts.
Ready to venture out and try one of these London gems for yourself?
Make sure to check out what else is on offer in London and abroad and enjoy a dining experience of a lifetime!
